Noson Yanofsky tells us how to deal with contradictions and the limitations of reason that arise from them.
We all have conflicting desires. We want to get promoted, but don’t want to work too hard. We would like to date both Betty and Veronica (or both Bob and Vernon). We desire to stay thin, but also desire to eat that delicious piece of cake. All these conflicting wishes cause dilemmas. We are limited by the fact that we can choose only one of the options or we get a contradiction. As we mature we learn how to navigate away from contradictions and resolve our conflicts. Most of us learn to make choices, and some of us at times even make the right decisions. In general, our success depends on which of our conflicting choices we make.
Philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians also deal with contradictions in their work. They resolve these contradictions in various ways depending on how the contradictions occur. Although these contradictions occur in very diverse and unrelated fields, we can classify the types of contradictions that arise in these fields quite simply.
To read more, click here.